Incandescent-lamp socket



. (No Model.)

J. W. PACKARD.

INGANDESOENT LAMP SOCKET.

No. 417,787. Patented Dec. 24, 1889.

James Weird Packard f1 u. PETERS, Pnmumn m Wlshinglcll. 0,0,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

JAMES \VARD PACKARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTING- HOUSEELECTRIC COMPANY, OF PITTSBUR-G, PENNSYLVANIA.

LAMP SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,787, dated December24,1889.

Application filed April 25, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES WARD PACKARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incandescent LampSockets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the peculiar arrangement of electrical circuitsin an incandescent-lamp socket, hereinafter to be described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a part of the lamp-bulb and the socketwith a portion of the shell broken away. Fig. 2 shows a bottom view ofthe insulating-base with the electrical connections and cut-outs thereonarranged. Fig. 3 shows a top View of the same. Fig. 4 shows an axialsection of the insulatingbase, together with the base of the cup inwhich the lamp-bulb is supported. Fig. 5 is a bottom View of said cup.Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section of the cut-out plug.

Throughout the drawings like referenceletters refer to like parts.

Then incandescent lamps are connected in series, it is necessary thatsome sort of an automatic circuit-closer in a shunt-circuit about thelamp or an automatic cutout should be arranged to short-circuit thecurrent around the lamp when the carbon breaks, thereby preserving therest of the system of lamps in operation.

In my invention the cut-out plug is mounted in the socket of the lamp,and the usual automatic cut-out, which operates when the lamp iswithdrawn from the socket to close the circuit, is so combined with thecut-out plug and its connections as to have a neat and simple structure,composed of few parts and not liable to get out of order.

A is an ordinary lamp mounted in a cup B, which has any suitablenon-conducting base C. Upon this base C is mounted the metallic ring Hand the projecting metallic plug H, to which the electrodes of the lampare connected by suitable wires G and G, all in the usual manner. Thecup B, in which the lamp Serial No. 308,572. (No model.)

is mounted, slips in the shell D of the lampsocket, which has certainslits cut in it in order to permit of the insertion and retention of thecup B in the usual manner.

lVithin the shell of the lamp-socket D is the insulating -base F, of anysuitable material, upon which the metallic parts furnishing electricalconnections for the lamp-socket are mounted. This part F is held inplace by the screws S and S, which also pass through and hold in placethe cap E, which closes the end of the shell D, all as shown in Fig. 1.

Upon the base F'are mounted the metallic posts Q and Q, with which theterminals of the main circuit X and Y have electrical connection throughthe metallic pieces X and Y and the screws U and U, (shown in Figs. 1and 4,) which hold the said pieces X and Y pressed against a suitableintervening insu- 7o lating medium.

Connected to the post Q is the plate L, which has thespring-extension L.Connected to the post Q is the plate K, which has the spring-extensionK. These two plates K and L are so arranged, as best shown .in Fig. 2,that the spring-extension of each rests upon the rigid portion of theother, thereby furnishing a double spring-operated cutout for thelamp-socket.

hen the lamp-holding cup B is inserted in the shell of the lamp-socket,the projection H touches the pin, which is rigidly attached to thespringL, as best shown in Fig. 4, and lifts the spring-extension L fromoff 85 the contact-piece K, and throws one part of the double cut-outout of operation. The projection H then touches the plate L connected topost Q. At the same time the U-shaped spring contact-piece 1, (bestshown in Figs. 3 go and 4,) which is electrically connected with thebinding-post Q, touches the metallic ring H on the bottom of the pieceC, and thereby the circuit through the carbon of the lamp is completed.If now the other branch of 5 the double spring-operated cut-out bethrown out of operation by lifting the spring-extension K from off thecontact-piece L, the current of the main circuit will be compelled topass through the lamp, and the latter will IOO burst into incandescence.This is brought about by inserting any suitable cut-out plug P betweenthe parts K and L, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

When lamps are connected in series, it is desirable that the cut-outplug P should be one of a number of automatic plugs which shall act tocomplete the circuit on-the breakage of the lamp-carbon. I haveillustrated one form of plug in Fig. 6, where the main portion of theplug M is separated from the portion M by suitable insulation, and inelectrical connection with M is the metallic spindle N, which is coatedwith a thin film of some fusible material N. This plug P, therefore, asshown in Fig. 6, keeps the spring K out of contact with the piece Lunder ordinary circumstances, and the current is sent through the lampwhenever the I collects in a globule at some point and furnishes ametallic short-circuitthrough which the current passes, and theoperativeness of the remainder of the system of electrical 0on which hasthe necessary qualities of a socket.

for lamps to be connected in seriesto wit,

that the circuit shall be automatically closed on the contingency of theremoval of the lamp or of the breakage of the lamp-carbon-while thisobject is brought about by a neat andsimple combination of few parts,some of which perform a double function.

Having therefore described myinvcntion,

The springs V and V what I claim as new, and desire to protect byLetters Patent, is

1. In an incandesccnt-lamp socket, the combination of the contact-pieceK, which has the spring-contacts K and I connected thereto, thecontact-piece L, which has the springcontact L connected thereto, andthe cut-out plug P, together with the contact-ring H and the projectionII, which are connected with the electrodes of the lamp, substantiallyas described.

2. In an incandescent-lamp socket, the combination of the doublespring-operated cutout, which consists of two separate andmechanically-independent branches, a suitable cut-out plug,whichnormally holds one springoperated branch cut-out out of operation, and asuitable projection upon the lamp which holds the other spring-operatedbranch outout outof operation when the lamp is in the socket,substantially as described.

3. In an incandescent-lamp socket, the combin ation of the doublespring-operated cutout, which consists of two separate andmechanically-independent branches, at suitable cutout plug, whichnormally holds one springoperated branch cut-out out of operation, andwhich plug consists of two insulated portions with a coating of fusiblematerial, which on the passage of a spark makes connection between saidinsulated portions, together with a suitable projection upon the lampwhich holds the other spring-operated branch cutout out of operationwhen the lamp is in the socket, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J AMES \VARD PACKARD.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN VON DER KAMMER, JAMES BoYLAN.

